Allison Russell, Maren Morris among stars on 'Tennessee Rise' single supporting Gloria Johnson's Senate run
Three dozen well-regarded Americana, country and pop vocalists — including Grammy winners Allison Russell, Brittany Howard, Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris and Amanda Shires — have joined forces to record and release the new soul anthem "Tennessee Rise."
It is being released to support of the U.S. Senate campaign or State Sen. Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville. Johnson is seeking the Democratic nomination in August and the chance to take on incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, in November.
The track is described in a press release as "an anthem born out of resistance from the rise of extremist forces, the unwillingness to accept the rollback of protections for historically marginalized groups, and a determination to keep Tennessee a place of welcoming that so many have found solace in."
The song and unifying of artists are borne of what is described as "Russell's deep love for the state [of Tennesee]" and described as a "first of its kind [collaboration] to use music as a show of support for a political candidate in this state."
Recorded at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studio, the coalition of singers includes:
Allison Russell, Amanda Shires, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Brittney Spencer, Brooke Eden, Denitia, Devon Gilfillian, Elizabeth Cook, Emmylou Harris, Erin Rae, Fancy Hagood, Jaimee Harris, Julie Williams, Kam Franklin, Katie Pruitt, Kyshona Armstrong, Langhorne Slim, Lilly Winwood, Lucie Silvas, Maren Morris, Mary Gauthier, Meghan Linsey, Meghan McCormick, Mya Byrne, MORGXN, Paul McDonald, Phillip-Michael Scales, Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, Sara Van Buskirk, Shelly Colvin, Tre Burt and Wade Sapp.
The song's lyrics state the following:
"Hello California Morning, Hello Mississippi Dawn / Tennessee Rise, the sleep out of your eyes / You thought tomorrow'd never come / How you wanna ride this wave mmmmm / Depends what frequency you're on / Go and make yourself known / Tomorrow knows their own"
The name Tennessee Rise is inspired by Johnson being one of the "Tennessee Three" lawmakers who caught national attention when they were expelled from the state legislature in April 2023 following disruptions related to calls for gun reform in the aftermath of the Covenant school shooting.
"[Gloria Johnson] stood up and spoke out against the state's refusal to pass common sense gun reform to protect our children. After surviving a politically charged expulsion vote, Gloria continued to work tirelessly to use her platform to grow a lasting statewide grassroots movement for change. That's why we are so proud to support Gloria, and her campaign for US Senate," a press statement notes.
"The message for the citizens of Tennessee, specifically young Tennesseans, is a simple one: Register. Vote. RISE."
Russell has long supported Johnson. Johnson returned the favor at September's Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival in Bristol, Tennessee and appeared during Russell's set.
"The circle of love built with this music and family is what we need to recreate across this state," Johnson offered briefly after Russell's introduction. "We need to make sure that we are listening to the people, lifting up their voices and working for Tennessee families, building a multiracial, multigenerational circle and — quite frankly — a multipartisan group of folks who care deeply about the safety of their communities and each other."
Tennessee's primary elections are Aug. 1, 2024, and the general election is Nov. 5, 2024. The deadline to register for in-person and mail voting ahead of Election Day is Oct. 7, 2024.
More information on voter registration in Tennessee is available at https://sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/how-to-register-to-vote,
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gloria Johnson's TN Senate run gets support from Grammy-winning stars
